Machine for shoemaking



l. sABo MACHINE FOR SHOEM-AKING Filed Sept. 26. 1940 Sept. 12, 1944.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR:

Louis Saba ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 12, 1944 Louis Sabo, New'York, N. Y., assignor to Herman B. Delman, New York, N. Y.

Application September 26, 1940, Serial No. 358,442

(or. 1z 17 12 Claims.

My invention relates to the art of shoemaking.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide means by which womens shoes may be made at a lower cost.

Another principal object is to provide a machine in which means'are provided for forming the breast flap of a shoe integral with the sole and shaped to conform .in height and contour with the breast of a heel of selected pattern, said forming being accomplished when the heel is in its final fixed position on the shoe.

Another object is to provide such a machine which may be easily set and adjusted to cause the flap to fit accurately the breast of the heel.

Another object is to provide such a machine which may be operated by unskilled persons, after 'being set by a skilled artisan;

Another object is to overcome the danger of injury to the heelitself which existsin the manual trimming operation heretoforeused in formin the flap.

Another object'is to provid definitely adjustable means for guiding and positioningthe shoe, flap and heel relative to a cutting die, depending on whether a right or aleft shoe is to be operated upon.

Another object is'to provide a machine in which the positioning of the shoe'thereindoes not depend upon the use of a pintle or the like engaging a hole in the last'carrying said shoe, thereby eliminating the necessity for uniformity in the location of pintle-engaging holes in various lasts, and also therebyreducing the cost which may be involved.

Another object is to provide a machine in which a shoe may be positioned and worked upon without a last in said shoe.

Another object is to provide means for removing the scrap or trim remaining after cutting the flap.

Another object is to reduce the number of op erations in the manufacture of a shoe.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will 'be ,in part .set forth in the following specification, and in part will be obvious there from without being specifically pointed out.

slide "In making shoes for women,'heels are used which differ in length, width, and dorm of the breasts, and it, hasbeen the general practice to make the flap of greater width than that of the breast of the: heel and after the flap has been cemented toj the breast, to'trim the laterally extending portionslwith a knifeby manual operation, which requires time, and also requires supporting slide being removed;

.ing slide skill to prevent cutting. the heel in the act of removing the trim. V

I have a co pending application, Serial No. 328,772, filed April 9, 1940, for improvements in machines for shoemakingwhich relates to a machine for cutting the'breast fiap prior to afiixing the heel to,the shoe; the present invention differs from the said previous invention both in structural meansemployed which are adapted to operate upon. a shoe; to which the heel has been afiixed and to form the flap after. affixing the heel.

With the above and other objects of the invention in view, the invention consists in the novel 7 l construction, arrangement and combination of various devices, elementsand'parts, as set forth in the claims hereof, certain embodiments of the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawings and describedin this specification.

Referring tothe drawings which form a part of the specification: I 3

Fig. .1 is a plan View of a machine constructed according to one embodimentof my invention, a

part .of'the cover plate of the housing bein broken away. and the scrap-removing means not being shown; Fig. 2 is a'front elevation of the same,-the shoe Fig. 3 is a rear View of said shoe-supporting slide, removed from the machine;

,. Fig. 4 is a longitudinalvertical section along the line 4'4 of Fig.1,- also showing a shoe sup;- ported inplace with its unformed flap in position Fig. 5 is a detail view on a relatively enlarged scale of an adjustable device for indicating the desired extent of movement of the shoe-support- Fig; 6 is a'view, alsoon a relativelyenlarged scale, of the top member of the shoe-supporting Fig, '7 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken along theline 'l--! of Fig. 8, showing" a modified form of the'slide; l

Fig. 8 isabottom view of thesame; I 4 Fig. 9 is a plan view, on arelatively reduced scale, of the holderofthe shoe-supporting slide,

I seen in the directionindicated by arrow. 9. in

" Fig. 10 is an elevationof the shoe-supporting 'member of said slide, seen in=the directionof the [arrow 10 in Fig. '7; c

, Fig. 11 is a side .elevlati on o f the ,machinej with the upper .die "in its lower position, including 5 besuppdrted 'by said spring arms means for removing the trim by compressed air, after cutting the flap Fig. 12 is a plan view of the same, with the upper die and springs removed; and g Fig. 13 is a detail view in perspective of the lever forming part of said trim-removing means.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 of the drawings, I provide a housing, comprising a base-plate l5, side walls l6, and a top plate I1, which top plate carries 'a lower die member l8 designed to form a flap when the upper die member 20 is forced into operative engagement thereintegral with the plate ,I 1, but may instead be carried by said plate.

V The space between the edges of the lowerdie J8 is filled by member 19, the upper surfaceof which i flush-with the upper surface of the plate ,l1 and which follows substantially the shape of the upper die 20. 'Said fill-in member l9 issecured to one end of a spring 29.,the other end of which is securedto the top plate l1. By this means the'fill-in member I9 is normally held in the described positionand supports the flap, until the upper die is depressed.

25, 25, 'indicate'two vside strips which are se-' cured to the side walls I 8, and serve as guides for the shoe-supporting slide shown inFig. 4. This shoe-supporting slide comprises two plates, 26

and 21, spaced from each other and secured in fixed. relation with arms 28, said plates being each provided with a s p o receive a laterally sliding member 38, which co-operates inadjusting the mechanism to support a right or left shoe re spectively in position to be operated upon, as below described.

e An element 3| consisting of an L-shaiaedstrip of metal, is securedlat its shorter leg '32 to the sliding member 38, fin such position that parts of said leg extend over-'plates25 and 21. The leg 32 and sliding member 38 are slotted longitudinally, through which composite slot 33" extends the upper end of a guiding pin 34, the lower; end of which is secured to a lever- 35 and transmits the movement of said lever'35 to'the member 38 and the L -shaped element 3| for the above-mendetachable with. The upper die can be actuated by a hand I or machine press, or any other suitable means;

extending to one edge of the lower die I8.

At its lower end the shoe is supported by'a cylindrical segment 42. Said segment is secured to and supported by one leg of a bent metal strip 43, the second leg of strip 43 being held in upright position by screws 46, which screws extend thru slot 41 in the lower part of upright leg 38 of element 3 I, therefore by loosening the screws 46 and moving strip 43 up or down, the position of the shoe can be adjusted vertically and said screws thereafter tightened.

A scaled plate 48 (see Figs. 2 and 5) is mounted on top of the housing, the inner end of said plate On top. of the scaled plate 48 and indicator 5| slides "backwardly and forwardly, which can be adjusted with relation to the scaled plate and fixed in position bymeans of a knurled set screw 52. The numerals on the scale, indicated at 53, can be seen through a hole 54 of indicator 5!.

58 is a guiding member fixed to the top plate I! near the other cutting edge of the lower die, and co-operates with the inner'end of scale plate to bring the leather strip into laterally correct position.

In Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are shown the means for removing the scrap or trim. Apipe 88, the outlet of which is located near the location at which the trim, designated 8|, remains on the surface of th lower die after the "trimming operation has been completed, is connected to a valve 82 located on top of the top plate I! of the housing. The valve 82 is opened and closed by means of a lever 83, and when opened-permits a stream of compressed air to 'pass thru pipe 80, the air being conducted to the valve thr-uja pipe 84 (shown broken away at its outer end), from a compressor or any suitable source, 'notshown.

The lever 83 operates to open and close the valve by means of a pin 85 on its rear end. The forward end of the lever carries an extension 88,

I pivotally connected to the'lever 83 by a pin in such manner that it may move downwardly relative to the lever, but not upwardly. A spring 8! secured tothe lever '83 bears with its forward end against the underside of the extension 85, holding the extension normally in horizontal position. A

stop 88 prevents the lever 83 from coming to a lower pointythan shown .11, and a spring 90 pulls said lever downward until it normally rests on said stop .88. K I

This" embodiment of the invention constitutes a unitary mechanism, which may beinserted in and actuated 'by any suitable press orother means, and'removed therefrom whendesired.

tioned adjusting movement, the swinging movementof the lever 35 being translated into lateral sliding movement of the member 38 and element 3 I.

end; The guiding pin 34 is provided with nut 3| in its upright position.

' 36 on its upper end, to holdthe L-Shaped. element The uprightv leg- 38 of element 31 carries at its upper end va spring member .40, [shown in detail view in This member .401 is securedat. its base to upright leg 38, and its arms 4| resiliently hold the front part of the last of a shoe to be operated .upon, wherebythe shoe stands upright.

If desired to operate'upon a shoenot having a last therein,1 he front part of the sho itself may The lever 35 is pivoted at 31 and manually operated by means of handle'38 on. its forward The operation of this embodiment of'my invention is as -follows:- At the beginning of the operation, a skilled operator places in the machine a last bearing the uppen' sole, and heel of one specimen of the particular type, style, and size of shoe (or,if.desired, such a shoe without a last therein),a series of which is to be worked upon, the sole being split'in the usual manner and the heel being afiixed in'its final correct position. To position the shoe, he draws the shoe-supporting slide-outwardly by means of the handle and while the shoe-supporting slide is thus extended places the shoe in an upright position, with the heel portion of the upper resting in the cylindrical segment, the aifixed heel itself toward the housing, and the forward or upper part of the last, or of the shoelbeing placed between the two arms 4! of spring member 40. Depending onthe size of the shoe, the cylindrical segment 42isadjusted'vertically by loosening the screws 48in slot 41, raisinglo'r lowering the member 43, and tightening the screws at the desired position to bring the flap into the correct position for cutting. Prior to with the length of the particular heel for which the flap is to be out. To set the indicator the knurled screw 52 is loosened, and againtightened after the indicator has been brought into position where the tip 55 points to the desired number of the scale.

Depending .upon whether a right or a left shoe is to be worked upon, the L-shaped element 3|, and with it the shoe, must be brought to the right or left side a certain predetermined distance, be,- oause the position of the center of the heel on a ladys shoe is spaced from the center line of the outsole. The transverse movement from right to left is derived from the-swinging movement of the manually shifted handle 39, the lever 35, and the guiding pin 34, co-operating with the slot 33. The two plates 26 and 21 act as guides for the sliding member 30, to permit only straight transverse motion of the latter.

The adjustments being correctly made, the shoe-supporting slide is pushed rearwardly until the finger-nail mark onthe flap (which flap then lies on top of the lower die l8 and the member I9) reaches the pointed tip of the indicator 5L This position is shown in Fig. 4. The flap is thus positioned correctly, and the press is then operated, the plunger of which depresses the laterally extending plate 23 and forces the upper die member 20 into shearing engagement with the lower die member l8 and thus cuts the desired shape of flap in exactly the desired and predetermined location, the fill-in member I9 being pushed down- In Figs? to'lO, a shoe supporting slide is shown which is modified in certain respects. The

7 two arms of the slide (shown partly broken away) are spaced at the forward end, i. e., toward the right in Figs. '7 and 8, by a spacer 69, and at an intermediate point by a spacer 61. The transverse movement is performed by means of a sliding member 62 which slides on a rod 63, the ends of which are secured to the sliding arms. The lower leg 65 of an approximately L-shaped element 64 is slanted slightly upward toward the front, and is bifurcated atits inner 'or rear end, the arms 66 and 61 of which bifurcation are secured to the under side of the sliding member 62. A lever 68 is pivoted centrally on the under side of spacer 60; the outer end of said lever is provided'with a handle for manualswinging operation, and the inner end is rounded substantially as shown and extend between and. is embraced by the two arms 66 and 61, thereby translating the swinging movement of the lever 68 into a straight transverse movement of the sliding member 62 and the L-shaped' element 64.

The upwardly extending leg 69 carries on its upper end a resilient holder 12, which can be formed of a strip of sheet metal, the forward end of said holder "being secured to the upper leg 69 and'its rearward end beingopen, thus'expanding in width'when a shoe is placed therein.

Ward to permit the shearing engagement of the dies. I

On its upward movement, the plunger ofthe press releases its pressure on extending plate 23,

the springs 22 push the plate 23 and with it the J The upward movement of the extending plate 23 moves thelever 83- of the valve 82 of the pneumatic blower (said blower not being shown), thus permitting compressed air to pass the valve 82 and thru the pipe 80, and blow away the trim remaining from the cutting operation. As soon as the plate 23 reaches its original position, however, the lever 83 is released therefrom and closes the valve 82, thus shutting off the air. On its downward movement, the extending plate 23 is enabled to pass the lever 83 by the downward pivotal movement of the extension 86.

The adjustments having been once correctly made, the operation may be repeated on successive shoes by an unskilled person, who can also,

by merely swinging the handle, adjust the ma:

chine from right to left or vice versa. When a different size or shape of shoe is to be worked The form of this holder 12 is illustrated in Fig. 9,

seen in the direction of the arrow 9 in Fig. '7, the position of the shoewhen inserted therein being shown in part in Fig. '7.

At the lower end of the leg 69 of this L-shaped element 64, a screw 13 is provided, which supports the wire 14. This wire 14 forms an approximate U-shape, open toward the rear and its forward end bein upwardly bent and wound around the screw 13 for attachment. The lower endsof the shoe is supported by a cylindrical segment 16, analogous to segment 42 of Fig. 4, but provided with legs 11 having holes therethru closely fitting the wire 14, whereby the segment '6 slides on the two arms 15 of the wire 14.

The parts of this embodiment other than the shoe-supporting slide, are the same as or similar to those in the embodiment first described, and the operation of the modified embodiment will therefore be clear from the drawings and fro-m what has been alreadysaid, without further description.

The operation of the present invention comprises the steps of first attaching the heel of the shoe in its final fixed position, then forming the flapto cover the brea'stof said heel, and there-. after securing said flap in place. ,In practice, the heels of a number of shoes would first be attached, the flaps then formed to correspond, and

said flaps then secured in place. The method may be carried out by means of the machine as above described in'connection with the operation steps. By the use of my invention, a large num-J ber of heels may be affixed in final fixed position,

upon, new adjustments are made by the skilled operator, and if the flap is to be cut for a different type or height of heel, different dies are inserted.

' dies,- a pattern, or otherwise,

and the flaps cut of predetermined uniform shape and correct location on the'shoe, by the use: of.

and then secured to the breast of the heel. j

f The advantages of the invention will-beiunderstood from what-hasbeen above said; 3i i :I do not limit myself tothe particular details of construction and operation, which have been described in this specification or shown in theaccompanying drawings, as it is obvious that the same may be modified in various ways, within the scope of the claims hereof, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my inventionj'claim: 1. A machine .for forming heel flaps for shoes,

comprising means for supporting a shoe having a heel attached in final positionithereof, means for forming a'flap of the solejof. said shheto conform to the breast of said: attached heel, and means for moving and holding .said shoe laterally relative to the central line of said flaping a shoe-supporting slide, guidingmeans for said slide, a laterally'sliding'member mounted in said slide, a shoe-supporting element carried by said sliding member, comprising a vertical portion, a cylindrical segment slidablyadjustable with relation to saidverticalportion for receiving the heel portion of said shoe, and 'a member securedto the upper partof said vertical portion and comprising resilient armsfor positioning the upper portion of said shoe.

. 3. The construction defined in claim 2,-togeth'er with a lever for moving said sliding member and its supported elements transverselyrelatively to the body of said shoe-supporting slide;

4. The construction defined in claim Z, together with'adjustable indicating 'means'for exactly indicatingthe correct position of said shoe for said forming-operation; t

. 5. The construction definedin claim 2, together with means for removing the trim remaining after said forming operation. I

6. A'machine'for forming heel flaps for shoes, comprising means for supporting a shoe having a heel attached in final position'thereon, means for forming a flap of the sole of said shoe toconform to the breast of said attached heel," and means for removing the trim remaining after said forming operation;- said trim removing means comprising a source of compressed air, a

. may pass in the other direction without operating said lever. v '7, A machine of the character described, com-- prising a housing; means for supporting a shoe having its heel attached in final position' thereon,

spa m ably adjustable with relation to said vertical member for supporting the heel portion of said .shoe,'and a member secured to the upper portion of said vertical member and comprising arms for positioning the upper portion of said shoe.

8. A machineof the character described, comprising a housing, means for supporting and positioning a shoe having a heel attached in final position thereon, and, means operatively supported'in said housing for forming a heel-breast flap conforming to the breastof said attached heel from a portion of the sole of said shoe, said supporting and positioning means comprising a carriage movably mounted for carrying said shoe to and away from the flap-forming position relative to said fiap-formingmeans, a shoe-support carried by and laterally movable with relation to said carriage, and meansior moving and holding said shoe-support laterally in each direction from the central line of said flap-forming means to permit accurate operationupona right or a corresponding left shoe. 7 a r l 9. A machine for forming heel flaps for shoes, comprising a housing, means for supporting a 1 shoe having a heel attached in'final position thereon, and a die operatively supported in said housing for forming a flap of the sole of said shoe to'conform to the breast of said attached heel, said supporting means comprising a cari- 40 riage movably mounted for carrying said shoe to and away from the'flap-forming position relative to said' die.

10. A machine for forming heel fiaps for shoes, comprising a housing, means for's upporting a thereon, and an upper and a lower die operatively supported in said housing for forming a flap of the sole of said shoe 'to conform to the breast of said attached heel, said supporting means comprising a carriagefmovably mounted for carrying said shoe to and away from the fiapforming position relative to said dies.

V 11. A machine for forming heel flaps for shoes, comprising'a housing, means for supporting a shoe having a heel attached in final position thereon, and cutting means operatively supported in said housing for forming a flap of the sole of said shoe to conform to the breast of said attached heel by operation in a direction substantially at right angles to the surface of the flap, said supporting means comprising a carriage movably mounted for carrying said shoe to and away. from the flap-formingposition relative to'said cutting means. 12. The construction defined in claim 11, together with an adjustable finger for indicating the correct extent of movement of said carriage relative to said. formingmeans to bring a shoe of a specific group to correct flap-forming position.

LOUIS SABO.

shoe having a heel attached in final position 

